Healthy Fluffy Buckwheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Buckwheat flour has got to be one of my favourite flours. I love it’s distinctive yet subtle flavour – it lends itself so well to both sweet and savoury dishes. It’s also naturally gluten free which is always helpful in a world of growing intolerances. Personally, I’ve no issue with gluten intolerance but it’s always handy to know! All the best things have gluten in after all. Like pizza. Bread. Cookies. None of which are quite the same without delicious gluten. Sorry coeliacs.

Whisking the egg whites gives maximal volume and fluffiness, meaning these pancakes are light but also super satisfying to dig into – unlike that aerated ice cream that’s like half the weight of a regular tub of ice cream.. The pumpkin contributes towards the fluffiness, and also gives you one portion of your veg for the day, so really what more excuse do you need to have pancakes all day, everyday?!

When folding in whisked egg whites, I was always the one who would go to the extremes: either beating all of the air out of it and defeating the object of it, or barely mixing it at all. Go for the middle ground. It’s not going to be a completely evenly mixed mixture; it’s not supposed to be. Something resembling the below is perfect. Don’t worry about it losing more bubbles as you spoon the mix into the pan either.

This recipe makes one small serving so feel free to double or triple up.

Ingredients:

60ml egg white

30g buckwheat flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

30g dairy free soya yoghurt

30ml milk

60g canned pumpkin

1 tsp agave nectar or few flavouring drops

dark chocolate, melted, for drizzling, opt

low sugar granola, opt

Directions:

Pour the egg white into a medium bowl, and whisk until doubled in volume and fluffy (see image above). Set aside

In a separate bowl, add the buckwheat flour and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and add the yoghurt, pumpkin, milk and agave. Mix until smooth and fully incorporated. Add a few tbsp of the beaten egg and mix in to loosen the mix. Fold in the remaining egg. Don’t over mix it to remove all of the air, but don’t get too caught up in being careful about mixing it. It should look similar to the picture above.

Heat a non stick frying pan with a little oil of choice or spray oil. Add the batter in and cook until bubbles appear and the edges set a little. Flip and continue cooking for 30-45 seconds. Remove and stack as you go. Repeat until the batter is used up.

Drizzle melted chocolate and sprinkle granola, or add your own choice of toppings!